


Zoey's Extraordinary Reflection

by musicals_musicals



Category: Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist (TV)
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Canonical Character Death, Communication, Developing Relationship, F/M, Friendship, Gen, Loss of Parent(s), Love, Overuse of italics, Polyamory, Pre-Relationship, Run-On Sentences, Slow Burn, Song Lyrics, grieving process, minimal dialogue, mostly - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:01:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24210265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/musicals_musicals/pseuds/musicals_musicals
Summary: "Zoey, you realize you don't actually have to pick right? You can be in love with both of them"At her father's funeral Zoey gets a chance to reflect on the past few months, and maybe try to move forward.
Relationships: Zoey Clarke & Max Richman, Zoey Clarke & Mo, Zoey Clarke/Max Richman, Zoey Clarke/Simon Haynes/Max Richman
Comments: 6
Kudos: 13





	Zoey's Extraordinary Reflection

**Author's Note:**

> Did someone say unresolved love triangle that could easily be solved if the writers appreciated the opportunities of a good polyamorous relationship?

_"-and Max keeps telling me that I have to pick but I just like both of them and I don't know what to do" Zoey finished her rant, chest heaving. After an incredibly awkward encounter at the coffee shop Zoey had ended up (yet again) on Mo's couch in the hope that by telling Mo everything (also again) this would be the time that she realized what to do._

_"Zoey, you realize you don't actually have to pick right? You can be in love with both of them" Zoey didn't even think Mo was listening, as she had seen them tapping away at their phone somewhere around phase 3 of her failed lovelife. Her face must've been properly conveying her confusion, as Mo rolled their eyes and put down the phone "Oh you poor closeted dumbass"_

_"I feel like I should take offence to that-"_

_"Shush," Mo held up a hand "You just talked for 15 minutes straight it's my turn"_

_Zoey sighed but leaned back on the couch, crossing her arms. As much as she hated to admit it, Mo gave good advice, thus why Zoey ended up in their apartment twice a week._

_"Have you ever heard of the word polyamorous? Or of a poly relationship?" Mo asked. Zoey waited but it seemed Mo was waiting for her to answer._

_"Uh isn't that like a threesome because that's not really my-"_

_"Stop" Mo punctuated the command by tossing the closest throw pillow (it's the one with the hummingbird) at Zoey's head. "First of all, don't knock it 'till you try it. Second, a poly relationship is when someone is in a relationship with multiple people, and they all know about it and consent to it" Zoey could feel the gears begin to turn in her brain, "For example, you would be dating both Max and Simon, at the same time, and if they were interested they would date each other. You'd all be together"_

_Zoey considered the idea, it would be a hard conversation to have, and she would probably have to improve her communication skills if there was any hope of it not ending in burning rubble, but it could work. Her train of thought was abruptly interrupted, "When you say don't knock it 'till you try it does that mean-"_

_"And that is my cue to leave! Please don't spend all day moping on my couch!"_

\-------

The car ride is horrible. As she sits with her brother on one side and her mother on the other Zoey doesn’t even get the comfort of leaning against the car window. Maybe that's why her mind goes there, back to that enlightening conversation with Mo. Anything to focus on that isn’t her mother’s soft crying, or the way her brother hasn’t spoken a word for the last day and a half. The car comes to a slow stop, and Zoey closes her eyes for a second, taking a second to prepare herself for the song that's surely coming, what with the high numbers of people brought together to have strong emotions.

“Zoey?” Her mother’s voice breaks through into her mind and Zoey opens her eyes, realizing that she’s the only one left in the car. It’s raining outside, fitting considering the cloud of grief that's been hovering over her head. Zoey slides out the right side of the car standing up under the large black umbrella that her mom is holding. Now more than ever Zoey wishes she had the flower umbrella Deb had been carrying when Zoey first saw her singing her heart song, even if Zoey was nowhere near that point in the grieving process, it would be a comfort, promising a better future.

_“A long long time ago, I can still remember how that music used to make me smile”_ Her mother starts to sing and it feels like all the air has been pulled from Zoey’s chest, she knows this song. The song is summers at the lake, her father sitting at her side teaching her how to unhook the sunfish she just pulled from the water. It’s sitting in her father’s lap on the patio at their old house, watching David take steady steps across the grass to their mother’s arm. It’s her father teaching her how to start a campfire so that they can make smores. It’s watching her parents talk quietly in the backyard when she’s supposed to be asleep. The song is sitting at her father’s side on the couch, helping him eat and telling stories from her day at work.

Zoey can barely stay on her feet, she stumbles slightly on the stair because she’s watching Emily as she starts the next verse, the words uncomfortably accurate.

_“I can't remember if I cried when I read about his widowed bride”_ Emily smiles at Zoey before pulling open the door to the house where they choose to hold the wake. At the time it had seemed like a good idea, more personal, but Zoey hadn’t considered how it would make her feel to be back in the house where her father had lived for most of her adult life. 

There are so many people inside, so many people loved her dad, and so many more took care of her as his health deteriorated. She picks up the framed picture next to the door but drops it just as fast. It’s all too much, so many people that she needs to greet, people who will offer meaningless condolences. _Max. You need to find Max._ She turns to do just that, scanning the room for his familiar face. She thought she noticed him in the kitchen when they first walked inside, but it seems he anticipated how she would feel.

“Zoey?” Max stops a few feet from her, letting her choose how close she wants to get. Zoey thinks she might be mad at him, or maybe he’s mad at her? It has been a rocky few months, but that doesn’t stop her from launching herself into his chest, letting her arms lock around his waist. He’s still her best friend, part of her family. When his arms wrap around her shoulders Zoey feels grounded in a way she hasn’t felt since her father died. Zoey lets herself breathe for 30 seconds before forcing herself to pull away.

“Can you stay?” Zoey gestures to the side, the rest of her family has dispersed and this isn’t something she feels ready to do alone. She'll do the small talk later, when she feels more prepared

“I’m at your side. However long you need me” 

“Thank you” Zoey takes a deep breath and grabs a hold of Max’s hand. She surveys the rooms, trying to decide which will be easier. A light goes off in her brain as she's looking around the living room and she backtracks, trying to figure out what was of note. She meets eyes with Simon who’s sitting on the couch nodding along while one of the neighbors talks.

He’s on his feet in seconds, but he does the same things Max had done, stopping a few feet away from her. “Zoey”

_How did things get so fucked up?_ The two people she wants closest to her in this terrible moment, hesitant to even get close enough for a comfortable conversation. Max understands her relationship with her father, but Simon understands her grief, the loss of a parent, though in different ways. She reaches and takes Simon’s hand in her left hand, still holding onto Max with the right “We need to talk, all three of us, but not today”

“Okay” Max squeezes her hand and Simon nods before they both let go. It’s enough.

Zoey blatantly realizes that the music has started again, she takes a deep breath, steeling herself for the next verse. At least the tempo has sped up

_“Did you write the book of love,”_ Zoey jumps slightly when Simon starts singing. For some reason she was expecting her mother to pick up the song again. This is more fitting, this part giving a more bittersweet vibe in Simon’s voice. She doesn’t want to curl up into a ball sobbing, she still wants to cry but she wants to stand too, carry her father with her in spirit and move on. She hugs Simon, and it feels different, from hugging Max, but the way his hand rubs small circles on her shoulder is just as comforting _“Well, I know that you’re in love with him `cause I saw you dancin’ in the gym. You both kicked off your shoes, Man, I dig those rhythm and blues”_ Abruptly Simon and Max both reach forward and shake hands. To say Zoey was not expecting it is an understatement but it feels important. The music is still going so this is choreography of their thoughts, perhaps it’s a sign that they’re finally coming together and it, more than anything else, gives Zoey hope for her future romantic endeavors.

_“I was a lonely teenage broncin’ buck,”_ Zoey follows Mo’s voice into the kitchen and watches as they pour Howie a glass of wine _“With a pink carnation and a pickup truck, but I knew I was out of luck, the day the music died”_ Mo smiles at Eddie and Zoey is once again thankful that she convinced her friend to follow up when the relationship was making them so happy. They all raise their glasses and Zoey reminds herself to thank Mo (again) for everything they've done to help her.

They fall into the chorus again and Zoey takes her chance to walk through the kitchen, hugging Mo on the way, though she’s not sure if Mo will remember it post song (she still has a lot of unknowns with her powers). She finds a few more people to talk to, old family friends who she’s known for years and cousins who pull her into conversations.

She runs into Simon again, in the living room. She can see how he hesitates before speaking “I need to leave, but I have your grief basket all ready. I’ll drop it off at your apartment later. Leave it on your doorstep”

Something about the sentence startles a laugh out of Zoey, “Thank you”

“I know you want to talk about… us” Zoey nods, at least he seems open to it “But that shouldn’t be a priority. Take time for yourself first. Selfcare”

“Selfcare” It’s probably a good reminder for her. The past few days have been all about finalizing the funeral plans and being there for her mother. Not counting the shower she took to get ready for the funeral, Zoey hasn’t showered in nearly a week and she can’t remember the last time she did something just for the sake of relaxing. She leans forward to hug Simon again, “Thank you”

“I’m here if you need me. To talk or even just to be a distraction, we could go walk around by the pier” Simon offers. They say their final goodbyes and Zoey steels herself for more small talk.

She finds Joan in the greenhouse, right as the music begins to start up again.

_“Now for ten years we’ve been on our own, and moss grows fat on a rollin’ stone”_ Joan reaches out for Zoey and takes a hold of both of her hands, smiling at her. _“But that’s not how it used to be”_ The words are for Zoey, though she isn’t exactly sure what meaning she should gleam from them. She almost wishes she could have the comforting words that Joan must be saying to her beneath the song. “ _When the jester sang for the king and queen in a coat he borrowed from James Dean and a voice that came from you and me”_ Joan shook her mother’s hand and nodded in Zoey’s direction. Even without the usual dialogue Zoey could guess that she was saying goodbye to Maggie, and possibly telling her something about Zoey which Zoey will be sure to ask about at a later date. “ _Oh, and while the king was looking down the jester stole his thorny crown.”_ The half embrace from Joan is nice, they’re walking towards the front door which further confirms Zoey’s theory that Joan is leaving. 

Zoey hears Howie pick up the song where Joan left off and follows his voice to the stairway. _“The quartet practiced in the park, and we sang dirges in the dark. The day the music died”_ He’s packing up a bag with the few items left from when he was taking care of her father. Zoey spots a deck of cards (she has no clue how he pulled that one off), she waves slightly, but leaves him to pack. She doesn’t want to get caught in the spiral of never seeing Howie again since her father is gone.

The chorus begins again and a few stray tears fall down her face. Each chorus gets them closer and closer to the end. 

Max appears at her side and pulls her over to sit on the staircase. She leans against his side, closing her eyes and letting the feelings wash over her. _“I met a girl who sang the blues and I asked her for some happy news”_

Of course Max sings her favorite verse, the universe is just like that when you have magic music powers. She sits up slightly and he moves down a stair so that they are on the same level.

_“I went down to the sacred store. Where I’d heard the music years before, but the man there said the music wouldn’t play”_ Zoey leans back against his side and lets the lyrics resonate with her. The song is slowing down so it’s probably on its final stretch.

_“And in the streets: the children screamed, the lovers cried, and the poets dreamed”_ Mo pulls Zoey off the staircase and in a hug. Zoey’s been getting a lot of hugs recently.

Her mother picks up the song again and Zoey lets herself cry for real. _“They caught the last train for the coast. The day the music died, and they were singing”_

Another step is over. Her father is dead, everyone has left the funeral, she holds the door for Max and Mo, and leans against it when it closes. Another voice picks up the chorus, it’s hers. The words shake with tears but she finishes the song.

_“Bye-bye, Miss American Pie. Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry, and them good old boys were drinking whiskey 'n rye. The day the music died”_

**Author's Note:**

> The end is a little rushed but so is everything I write so I'll live. This is the first thing I've written in months something about watching this show made me want to write again.
> 
> Find me on tumblr [@izzy-mccalla](https://izzy-mccalla.tumblr.com/post/618242888296464384/zoeys-extraordinary-reflection-by) and if you're feeling really nice you could reblog the post I made for this!


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